Ejecting tool



June 2, 1964 J. PARSTORFER ETAL 3,135,042

EJECTING TOOL Filed NOV. 25, 1960 68 54 496.8 i I l o JOHN PARSTORFER ROBERT R. STROH ATTORNEY Fig.6 70 e2 58 6| 34 64 'I I a I I!" 52 44l I 46 Fig.3 7 4o INVENTORS.

United States Patent 3,135,042 El'ECTING TGGL John Parstorfer, Philadelphia, and Robert R. Stroll,

Wayne, Pa, asslgnors to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 71,690 2 Claims. (ill. 29-203) This invention relates generally to ejecting tools and more particularly to an ejecting tool for removing a plugged-in workpiece from a socket-type receptacle. While not limited thereto, the invention finds special application for removing electrical modules from associated receptacles such as disclosed and claimed in a copending application of lohn Parstorfer and Edgar O. Sprude entitled Electrical Network Assemblies, Serial No. 15,920, filed March 18, 1960 and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The above-mentioned electrical modules, for example, are plugged into a socket-type receptacle and retained therein by the force of friction acting on lateral wall elements. These modules are plugged in substantially flush with their receptacles and are densely packaged therein in substantially abutting relation.

Occasionally, the electrical modules must be removed, for one reason or another, such as for repair. or replacement, but because of the flush assembly of the modules in the receptacles and the dense packaging of the modules, one next to another, there is not provided an adequate gripping area on a particular module by which the operator may extract it from the receptacle. One method of removing such a module, or workpiece, is to apply an ordinary ejecting rod through an opening in the base of the receptacle and push out the selected module. This method, however, is open to certain objections. First of all, while the operator would push such a rod with one hand, he would have to oppose the ejecting force with his other hand, by suitably restraining and guiding the module, to prevent damage which otherwise might be caused by the sudden jerk-like over-travel of the module at the instant it became released from the receptacle. Furthermore, there is always present the possibility that the ejecting rod might slip and cause damage to the module or surrounding structure, or possibly cause an injury to the operator.

An object of the invention is to provide an ejecting tool for removing a plugged-in workpiece from a socket-type receptacle most efficiently.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a tool whereby the rate of movement of the workpiece as it is being ejected from the receptacle will be under the control of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool for ejecting a plugged-in workpiece from a receptacle and which will afford the operator a firm grip on the receptable for better controlling the movement of the work piece as it is being ejected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ejecting tool for removing a frictionally held plugged-in workpiece from a socket-type receptacle without the application of a resisting force to restrain overtravel of the workpiece as it is released from the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ejecting tool which is simple to use, safe to operate, and inexpensive to manufacture.

In accordance with the above objects and first considered briefly in its broad aspects, the invention comprises an ejector rod and gripping elements which are actuated by movement of the ejector rod. The ejector rod is operated in a single stroke comprising two successive movements. The first movement actuates the spring 21.

3,135,042 Fatented June 2, 1964 ice gripping elements into gripping relation with the base or the like of a workpiece receptacle, and the second movement ejects the workpiece from the receptacle while the ejector rod maintains the gripping elements in gripping position.

The invention will be more clearly understood when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

PEG. 1 is a front elevation of an ejecting tool constructed in accordance with the invention, and showing also in diagrammatic form a cross-sectional fragment of the apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned Parstorfer-Sprude application;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged left side View of the tool shown in FIG. 1 with part broken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View taken in the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing gripping elements of the tool in position, preparatory to operation of the tool;

PEG. 5 shows the operated condition of the tool in the process of ejecting an electrical module, or workpiece, from its receptacle; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged View of a fragment of the tool shown in FIG. 5.

Turning now to the details of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a handle it? substantially in the form of a rectangular block and provided in its front face 11 with a slot 12 and in its lower end face 13 with two holes 14 and 16 into which are inserted the ends 18 and 2d of a formed spring 21.

The spring 21 acts as a compression spring with its lowermost portion 25 pressing against the base 27 of a U- shaped handle 28, seen most clearly in FIG. 2, having upwardly extending legs 30 and 32 which slidably straddle the handle 10. An elongated rectangular plunger or ejecting rod 34 is slidably received in the slot 12 and is fastened at its lower region to the leg 32, as by screws 35.

Secured to the upper end face 37 of the handle 10, as by screws 38, are laterally extending flanges 46 and 42 of upwardly extending grippers or spring fingers 44 and 46 respectively, between which the working end of the ejector rod 34 extends. The spring fingers 44 and 46 are similarly constructed and each provided with external gripping surfaces consisting of a planar gripping surface 49 (FIG. 4), substantially normal to the vertical or central axis of the tool, an arcuate neck portion 50, and an angular portion 52 having a conical surface. The spring fingers 44- and 46 are each further provided with an interior carn surface 54, the two cam surfaces 54 forming a taper 56.

In the present embodiment, the ejecting rod 34 is quite slender and means are preferably provided for giving it additional stability to better retain it between the spring fingers 4d and 46 during the operation of the tool. For this purpose, there is provided a screw 58 (FIG. 3) threaded into the ejecting rod 34- and having a stop shoulder 61 abutting the ejecting rod. A retaining washer 62 cooperating with the screw 58 is mounted on the shoulder 61 and bridges across the spring fingers 44 and 46. When the tool is in a normal or non-operated condition, the washer 62 bears on the face 37 of handle it) to serve also as a stop to limit the separation of the handles it) and 28 as they are urged apart by the An electrical module 8, and its associated receptacle 6 and printed circuit board 4, all described in detail in the above-mentioned Parstorfer-Sprude application, will be referred to here briefly to illustrate one utility of the present invention. The receptacle 6 comprises lateral 9 contact rails 22 and 24, and divider member 26, one divider member at the front and one at the rear of the electrical module 3, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. In the present disclosure, the receptacle 6 may be regarded as including also the printed circuit board 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical module 8 is substantially flush in the receptacle 6 and is retained frictionally therein by means of knife contacts 48 on the inner faces of the panels 22 and 24, and spring contacts 60 on the outer end faces of the electrical module 8 mating with the knife contacts 48.

In the operation of the tool, the gripping surfaces and 52 of the spring fingers 44 and 46 are first inserted through an ejecting hole or opening 64 provided in the printed circuit board 4 with the gripping surfaces 49 held against the underside of the printed circuit board, as shown in FIG. 4. The handles 10 and 28 are then squeezed together thus to project the ejecting rod 34 through the opening 64 to eject the electrical module 8 out of the receptacle 6, or to a suitable position, as shown in FIG. 5, from which it can readily be removed from the receptacle. As the handles 16 and 28 are thus pressed together, the ejecting rod 34 rides along the cam surfaces 54, expanding the spring fingers, until its end 66 reaches the small dimension 68 of the taper 56, at which point the gripping surfaces 49, 5t) and 52 respectively, will be firmly gripping the bottom face of the printed circuit board 4, the walls of the opening 64, and a chamfer 70 at the inner edge of the opening 64. As the ejecting rod 34 proceeds further, it projects through the spring fingers 44 and 46 and maintains the gripping surfaces 49, 56, and 52 in gripping position while it ejects the workpiece or electrical module 8.

From the above description, it will now be clear that the invention provides a tool which affords the operator a firm grip on a workpiece receptacle, thus enabling him to safely and fully control the rate of movement with which the workpiece is ejected.

While there has been disclosed a specific structure exemplary of the principles of the invention, it is to be understood that this is the preferred embodiment thereof and that the invention is capable of being constructed in a variety of shapes, sizes, and modifications without de parting from its true spirit and scope. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific structure disclosed but only by the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ejecting tool for pushing a plugged-in workpiece from a socket-type receptacle having side walls frictionally holding the workpiece and an ejecting hole extending through its bottom wall, the inner edge of the ejecting hole being chamfered for ejection purposes, said tool comprising, a first handle, elongated substantially parallel spring fingers connected at one end to the handle, the opposite working end of each spring finger being shaped with cooperating external gripping surfaces and an internal cam surface rearward of said external gripping surfaces, the eam surfaces confronting each other to form a taper, one of the gripping surfaces of each spring finger being substantially normal to the direction of the spring fingers for gripping the outer face of said receptacle bottom wall when the tool is operated, another gripping surface of each spring finger being conical and sloping toward its cooperating gripping surface for gripping the charnfer of said ejecting hole when the tool is operated, an ejector rod slidably guided by said handle for movement between the spring fingers, the working end of the ejector rod normally being adjacent to the large end of the taper, a second handle connected to the end of the ejector rod opposite its working end and slidable telescopically relative to the first handle for sliding the ejector rod toward and past the taper in a single stroke, to first expand the spring fingers into gripping relation with said receptacle bottom wall and then to project through said ejecting hole to eject said workpiece, spring means biasing said handles apart, and a single means secured to the ejector rod limiting the biasing action of the spring means and bridging across the spring fingers for maintaining the ejector rod against lateral movement from between the spring fingers, said ejector rod being of such length that when said handles are moved relatively toward each other to the limit of their movement the ejector rod will extend into said receptacle a substantial distance greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the ejector rod.

2. An ejecting tool for pushing a plugged-in workpiece from a socket-type receptacle having side walls frictionally holding the workpiece and an ejecting hole extending through its bottom wall, the inner edge of the ejecting hole being chamfered for ejection purposes, said tool comprising, a first handle provided with a slot, elongated substantially parallel spring fingers connected at one end to the handle, the opposite working end of each spring finger being shaped with cooperating external gripping surfaces and an internal cam surface rearward of said external gripping surfaces, the cam surfaces confronting each other to form a taper, one of the gripping surfaces of each spring finger being substantially normal to the direction of the spring fingers for gripping the outer face of said receptacle bottom wall when the tool is operated, another gripping surface of each spring finger being conical and sloping toward its cooperating gripping surface for gripping the chamfer of said ejecting hole when the tool is operated, an ejector rod slidably mounted in and guided by said handle slot for movement between the spring fingers, the working end of the ejector rod normally being adjacent to the large end of the taper and rearward of the gripping surfaces which are substantially normal to the direction of the spring fingers, a second handle connected to the end of the ejector rod opposite its working end and slidable telescopically relative to the first handle for( sliding the ejector rod along said slot toward and past the taper in a single stroke, to first expand the spring fingers into gripping relation with said receptacle bottom wall and then to project through said ejecting hole to eject said workpiece, spring means biasing said handles apart, and a single means secured to the ejector rod limiting the biasing action of the spring means and bridging across the spring fingers for maintaining the ejector rod against lateral movement from between the spring fingers, said ejector rod being of such length that when said handles are moved relatively toward each other to the limit of their movement the ejector rod will extend into said receptacle a substantial distance greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the ejector rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,853,772 Yuter Sept. 30, 1958 2,971,254 Fairfield Feb. 14, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,067,007 France Jan. 27, 1954 

1. AN EJECTING TOOL FOR PUSHING A PLUGGED-IN WORKPIECE FROM A SOCKET-TYPE RECEPTACLE HAVING SIDE WALLS FRICTIONALLY HOLDING THE WORKPIECE AND AN EJECTING HOLE EXTENDING THROUGH ITS BOTTOM WALL, THE INNER EDGE OF THE EJECTING HOLE BEING CHAMFERED FOR EJECTION PURPOSES, SAID TOOL COMPRISING, A FIRST HANDLE, ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SPRING FINGERS CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE HANDLE, THE OPPOSITE WORKING END OF EACH SPRING FINGER BEING SHAPED WITH COOPERATING EXTERNAL GRIPPING SURFACES AND AN INTERNAL CAM SURFACE REARWARD OF SAID EXTERNAL GRIPPING SURFACES, THE CAM SURFACES CONFRONTING EACH OTHER TO FORM A TAPER, ONE OF THE GRIPPING SURFACES OF EACH SPRING FINGER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF THE SPRING FINGERS FOR GRIPPING THE OUTER FACE OF SAID RECEPTACLE BOTTOM WALL WHEN THE TOOL IS OPERATED, ANOTHER GRIPPING SURFACE OF EACH SPRING FINGER BEING CONICAL AND SLOPING TOWARD ITS COOPERATING GRIPPING SURFACE FOR GRIPPING THE CHAMFER OF SAID EJECTING HOLE WHEN THE TOOL IS OPERATED, AN EJECTOR ROD SLIDABLY GUIDED BY SAID HANDLE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE SPRING FINGERS, THE WORKING END OF THE EJECTOR ROD NORMALLY BEING ADJACENT TO THE LARGE END OF THE TAPER, A SECOND HANDLE CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE EJECTOR ROD OPPOSITE ITS WORKING END AND SLIDABLE TELESCOPICALLY RELATIVE TO THE FIRST HANDLE FOR SLIDING THE EJECTOR ROD TOWARD AND PAST THE TAPER IN A SINGLE STROKE, TO FIRST EXPAND THE SPRING FINGERS INTO GRIPPING RELATION WITH SAID RECEPTACLE BOTTOM WALL AND THEN TO PROJECT THROUGH SAID EJECTING HOLE TO EJECT SAID WORKPIECE, SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID HANDLES APART, AND A SINGLE MEANS SECURED TO THE EJECTOR ROD LIMITING THE BIASING ACTION OF THE SPRING MEANS AND BRIDGING ACROSS THE SPRING FINGERS FOR MAINTAINING THE EJECTOR ROD AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT FROM BETWEEN THE SPRING FINGERS, SAID EJECTOR ROD BEING OF SUCH LENGTH THAT WHEN SAID HANDLES ARE MOVED RELATIVELY TOWARD EACH OTHER TO THE LIMIT OF THEIR MOVEMENT THE EJECTOR ROD WILL EXTEND INTO SAID RECEPTACLE A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION OF THE EJECTOR ROD. 